


Like a Storm

by Nishinoya4Yuu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Astraphobia, Childhood Friends, Cuddling & Snuggling, Getting Together, Growing Up Together, Kissing, Living Together, M/M, POV Third Person Omniscient
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 02:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10548342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nishinoya4Yuu/pseuds/Nishinoya4Yuu
Summary: Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime have been friends forever. They have their ups and downs. Usually these center around the little storms in Oikawa's life. For Iwaizumi the only real storm is Oikawa. He has the power to destroy everything in his wake, but he's just oh so beautiful.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first IwaOi and it hasn't been alpha or beta read. I've poured over it long enough that I think I caught any major issues by you have my appologise if I have not. I hope you enjoy this little piece of IwaOi hell that I have created.

Oikawa Tooru was 7 years old when he learned what death was. When he first realized that in an instant what he loved most in the world could be gone. That was a hard lesson to learn and it left a lasting impression on him. 

The storm subsided and now the sun was finally shinning on the small boy standing in his family's yard. He was all skin and bones and wide eyes and his eyes grew even wider when he looked down at his feet. 

“Obi Nyan!” he called to the small cat laying in the wet grass. Tooru shifted uncomfortably when his beloved pet didn't move. He couldn't understand it, but dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach. He gave the cat a tentative prod with his foot and said again, “Obi Nyan!” Obi Nyan didn't respond. 

Tooru didn't understand, but he somehow knew anyway. He couldn't help it when the tears started to fall. He screwed up his face in confusion and disgust trying hard to fight back against whatever it was that was eating away at his insides. He hated how he knew, deep down, that his beloved pet was gone. 

He quickly retreated inside and threw himself onto the sofa in the living room. He couldn't stop crying and when his father asked him what was wrong he refused to acknowledge what had happened. If he didn't accept it then it never happened, right? 

His father found out anyway and buried the cat in the yard that afternoon. Tooru refused to watch. His mind was made up. He knew that the easiest way to cope was to just pretend that Obi Nyan had never existed. That way he didn't have to face the awful sense of loss that settled throughout his whole body. 

Without realizing it Tooru has suddenly stumbled upon what would turn out to be one of his favorite coping mechanism through his life. When something really hurt it was much easier to pretend like it never happened. Just push all thoughts of it aside and put on a smile. 

That night his mother called him to dinner. After much time crying he'd dried his tears and made that fateful decision to ignore what had happened. He was smiling now as he ran towards the kitchen for dinner. 

He stopped short when he heard his mother's voice in a hushed whisper, “What do you think caused it?” 

His father responded, “It's a shame. I told Tooru to keep him in the house. It looked like lightning hit him.” Tooru was pretty sure his heart stopped. It was his fault?

His mother hummed, “That doesn't seem very likely, does it?” 

“One in a million chance and it had to happen to Tooru's cat,” his father sighed. “Poor kid.” Tooru balled his small hands into fists and clenched them at his sides. He scrunched up his nose in order to prevent himself from crying again. 

A sniffle and then he was moving again. He shuffled to the dinner table and sat down. With another sniffle he proclaimed, “Storms are stupid.” He grabbed his chopsticks and stabbed them into his rice angrily like the petulant child that he was. 

“Tooru! Stop that!” his mother scolded his table manners. Tooru's eyes widened but then he just smiled. It was what might have been the first instance of his fake dazzling smile. 

\---

Oikawa Tooru was 8 when his parents first decided he was old enough that they could leave him with a babysitter while they went on a getaway alone. It was also the first time he completely unraveled in front of his best friend.

Tooru didn't really mind being left behind while his parents went away. It meant he got to spend a whole week at his best friends house. His best friend had been with him for as long as he could remember. They had their ups and downs but their friendship seemed unshakable.

His best friend was Iwaizumi Hajime and he also lived just a few houses down the street. Their parents had become friends when their mothers both realized they were pregnant. The neighbors were both thrilled that their children would have someone to play with so close to home. That's how Tooru and Hajime had practically been thrust upon each other as babies. 

The two boys had an eventful week and made lots of great memories and managed to have only 3 arguments. All 3 of these arguments stemmed from the fact that Tooru insisted on watching movies that involved aliens or space or preferably, both. Hajime hated movies like that and instead really wanted to watch Godzilla. Tooru made sure that Hajime knew he thought it made him an absolute brute. 

Mostly though things were good. That was until Tooru's last night over at Hajime's house. It was then that his worst fear decided to confront him head on. Tooru was already bathed and read for bed while he waited for Hajime to bathe too. He sat alone on Hajime's bed and absentmindedly flipped through a manga. That was when he heart it. 

It was loud and unexpected. Thunder ripped through the night. The window next to Hajime's bed lit up violently as lightning streaked through the sky. Tooru jumped and couldn't stop himself. His body was shaking as tears welled up in his eyes. The storm only got louder. 

10 minutes later Hajime entered the room ready for bed and a frown instantly crossed his face. “Tooru, what are you doing?”

Tooru was nowhere to be found. In his place was a pile of all of Hajime's blankets and pillows and it seemed to be quivering. 

A muffled voice came from under the mess of bedding, “Go away!” it practically shrieked. 

“This is my house, dummy,” Hajime said as he sat down on the bed next to the pile which he was fairly certain housed his best friend. “You better not be doing anything weird under there,” he offered. 

The shaking pile of blankets seemed to also be sniffling. “Gross,” it called out accompanied by a suck of snot. 

Hajime tried again, “You're gross! Are you...” he trailed off as he thought better of the question. Then he thew his instincts to the wind and asked anyway, “are you...crying?”

“Shut up! I hate you!” was all the response Hajime received. Well, that and some more gross wet noises that seemed to involve copious amounts of snot and probably tears. 

Hajime sat in silence. He was used to Tooru saying things like that but at least he usually had some idea of what he had done to wrong him. Or rather, what he had done that Tooru thought was a slight against him. Because let's face it, Tooru thought most things were a slight against him. Most days Tooru seemed fairly convinced that the world was out to get him. 

The storm chose that moment to become particularly violent and the thunder and lightning made the sky look alive. The huddle of blankets jumped and let out a distressed squeak. 

Hajime just sat and stared, dumbfounded. This time he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Of course that didn't help and he blurted it all out anyway, “Oh my god. You're afraid of thunder?! What the hell, Tooru?” He hoped his mother hadn't heard him use that word. 

The blankets moved and suddenly a wretched tear stained face appeared. Tooru kept the blankets wrapped around him so that just his face was showing. He gave his best annoyed look and stuck out his tongue. “No! I'm afraid of your ugly face!” 

Hajime lunged forward and Tooru quickly hid in the blankets again as he let out a yelp. “Damn it, Tooru!” He hoped his mother didn't hear that one either. He fought his way into the blankets and stilled when he came face to face with his best friend. Tooru looked absolutely miserable. He was such an ugly crier. 

They sat in silence for a while, enveloped in a tent made of blankets. It was hot with both of their lungs fighting over the small amount of air. Hajime just sat there and watched Tooru who tried very hard to pretend he hadn't been crying. 

Just as Tooru thought he was alright the thunder clapped again and then he was shaking uncontrollably. He fixed his eyes on Hajime and they were pleading with him to not please not tease. Tooru looked so scared and it hurt Hajime. Not that he would ever admit that. 

Hajime could tell this was serious. It probably wasn't the time to hurl insults in Tooru's direction. He took a deep breath, warm air filling his lungs. He fixed his slate colored eyes on Tooru's large, watery brown ones. “Are you afraid of storms?” he asked in the kindest voice he could manage. It still came out gruffer than it should have considering he was only 8. 

Tooru was silent but his head gave the slightest of nods as he looked like he wanted to die then and there. Hajime had seen him upset before, but never like this. This was a real fear that seemed to have taken root deep inside Tooru. The type of fear that probably would follow him his whole life.

“You're shaking,” Hajime offered. He looked at his friend and he wasn't sure why but he hated to see him like this. It sort of caused a dull ache in his chest. He opened his arms and wrapped them around Tooru. Tooru was a small boy, thin and all limbs. Hajime was built much thicker and so his body practically engulfed Tooru. “Don't say anything,” he grumbled in an effort to stop the jokes before they came. 

Tooru didn't say anything though. He just buried his face in Hajime's chest and cried. The only noise was their labored breathing, Tooru's sniffling, and the rain and thunder. With each burst of noise from the storm Tooru began to tremble a little bit more and buried his face deeper in Hajime's pajama top. 

Hajime tried to ignore the wet spot that had formed on his shirt. He didn't want to know what gross fluids Tooru was leaving on him. He just held his friend tight without asking questions. He knew that this time Tooru just needed to know he wasn't alone. 

An hour later the noise outside finally died down and Tooru slowly stopped quivering. Hajime leaned back and pushed Tooru up by the shoulders. “It's over.” he offered. 

The usually pretty face of Oikawa Tooru was ragged. He looked like a wreck. His eyes were big and red around the edges. Puffy too. His face had wrinkles showing on it from where it had been pressed tightly into Hajime's shirt for too long. His hair was somehow wet, probably from all the heat created by their blanket tent. His nose was pink and looked sticky. He gave one last sniffle for good measure. 

“Thank you,” Tooru whispered, just barley a breath. 

Hajime was prepared to never speak of this again and grunted, “no problem.” 

Tooru's face visibly brightened at his friends gruff response. “So angry!” the usual lilt seemed back in his voice. It seemed that the storm had passed. Both of them. 

“Shut it,” was all Hajime offered as he pulled the blankets off the bed and tossed them on the floor. He stretched out on his bed finally. “Go to sleep.”

Tooru snuggled up next to him and Hajime was livid. “On your futon. Now.” 

“What are you, my mom?” Tooru asked and immediately thought better of it. Hajime reached out and physically pushed the small boy off the bed. He fell in the heap of blankets that were on top of his futon on the floor. A mess of limbs and brown hair. 

Tooru didn't fight it anymore. Possibly because he knew that his friend had already been far kinder to him tonight than he probably deserved. Tooru stood up and grabbed one of the blankets Hajime had tossed down. He silently spread it out over Hajime and then moved to turn off the lights. He stumbled to his futon and lay down pulling his own blanket up to his chin. 

Tooru's eyes were open in the dark for a long time. He wasn't sure if Hajime was still awake or not. The silence was long and filled the dark room. Tooru whispered, “You're a good friend.”

There was no response. A small sigh escaped Tooru's lips and he added, because it seemed like the thing to say, “I love you, Hajime.” 

Hajime's eyes shot open, unable to quite comprehend what those words meant. But he figured he loved Tooru too. They were best friends after all. 

\---

Oikawa Tooru was 14 the first time he felt his whole world collapse around him. It was a sort of claustrophobic feeling he'd never experienced before. He could feel everything slipping away from him and it scared him. It scared him in a way he hoped no one ever found out about.

The day was sunny and bright but inside the gymnasium at Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High a storm raged. Oikawa's world was being destroyed. He had tried to hide it, but it was just too hard when those wide eyes stared at him in awe. But Oikawa knew the truth, those eyes were analyzing him, so he could be squashed. Like a bug. 

Oikawa hated that he was the bug in this analogy, but it was undeniable that Kageyama Tobio and his genius would some day over take him. Years of practice and hard work would be lost in an instant due to one stupid kids genius abilities on the court. 

He could hear the coaches speaking in hushed voices about their plans for Kageyama Tobio. “Setter.” The word filled Oikawa's head and left a ringing in his ears. 

Suddenly his best friend since forever, Iwaizumi Hajime, was at his side. “Oikawa,” Hajime's voice was stern. He didn't have to say the words, but Oikawa knew he was telling him to stop it. He knew that Iwaizumi understood that he was collapsing in on himself right now. Sometimes he hated that Iwaizumi knew him so well. It would have been nice to have a little more time to wallow in his own self pity. 

Oikawa swallowed but the lump caught in his throat and threatened to suffocate him. Dread filled his stomach and spread through his whole body. Luckily he had matured fast and it had left him taller than most kids his age. He was also blessed with great control over his body. It was enough to almost help him hide the fact that he was trembling. Almost. 

His fingers shook ever so slightly against the volleyball in his hands. He tightened his grip in an effort to will them to stop shaking. It didn't work so he dug his perfectly manicured nails into the ball instead. 

He gave himself a moment. That was all he was allowing himself. He took a deep breath and plastered his most dazzling smile onto his face. “Iwa-chan!” his voice rang and to anyone listening it sounded like he was positively gleeful.

Practice ended and Oikawa had managed to prevent himself from doing anything foolish. But then when Iwaizumi asked him if he wanted to get something to eat he refused. That was the first really foolish thing he did that day. And Iwaizumi foolishly let him do it. 

Iwaizumi left Oikawa alone in the gym. Oikawa had begged the coaches to allow him to stay late and practice his jump serve. They had agreed but he had to lock up. So now with Iwaizumi abandoning him as well he was the only one in the gym. 

Oikawa spent roughly 5 hours practicing alone in the gym that night. It was past midnight by the time he made it home. Luckily his parents weren't worried. Their little Tooru never got into trouble so he had been allowed free reign when he entered Junior High. 

Not even realizing his stomach ached from a lack of food he stumbled into his bedroom and then spent another hour and a half watching volleyball tournament videos on his computer. He spent a lot of time watching the Brazilian team play. His tired brain was trying to analyze their movements and see if there was anything he could take away from it. 

It was around 3 in the morning when he finally drifted off to sleep on his futon. He was glad he slept on a futon instead of a bed because he didn't need to find his way there. He literally just fell over on the floor into bed. 

The same routine continued for a few weeks. Iwaizumi grew increasingly worried. Oikawa grew increasingly exhausted. Kageyama grew increasingly more talented. 

Finally Iwaizumi had to step in. His voice was stern and gruff, “Oikawa.” Again, no other words were needed to get his message across. 

Oikawa pushed it aside though. “Just a little bit longer, Iwa-chan!” He bounced the volleyball on the floor several times before tossing it up and perfectly executing a jump serve. 

The look on Iwaizumi's face was a mixture of impressed, deep concern and excessive anger. His brow was furrowed more than any 14 year-old's should be. His whole face was frowning. “Stop it. Now.” He crossed his arms and stood by the side of the court. 

“Iwa-chan, are you my mom?!” Oikawa's voice sang. His smile was dazzling as he tried to undermine the exhaustion showing in his eyes. He plucked a volleyball from the nearby cart and unceremoniously tossed it at Iwaizumi's face. 

Iwaizumi's reflexes took control and he caught the ball without much effort. “Dumbass!” he yelled as he hurled the ball back at Oikawa with his full force. 

Oikawa let out a yelp and jumped out of the way, his long limbs almost getting in his way. He glared at Iwaizumi and stuck his tongue out at him. “Haven't you learned any new insults, Iwa-chan?!” he laughed and then quickly ducked out of range of Iwaizumi's fists. 

They both quickly cleaned up the gym and began the walk home. Oikawa had decided to give in early this one day to keep Iwaizumi off his case and because he could feel the long day in his legs.

It was a nice evening and as they walked down the street their shoulders occasionally bumped together from their closeness. 

Iwaizumi broke the silence, “Let's get some food.” He looked at Oikawa with a question in his eyes. Oikawa knew he was asking when was the last time he'd eaten. Oikawa didn't remember, honestly. 

“Not hungry,” Oikawa said with a pout. He really just wanted to get home today. He could deal with finding food later. Sometime when he wasn't with Hajime. When he wouldn't have to worry about his friend trying to forcibly shove food down his throat. 

He realized his pout wasn't working and offered a smile instead. “I'm fine, Iwa-chan! My mom's cooking dinner tonight and I'll actually be home in time for it. You know what a good cook she is!”

Iwaizumi's eyes searched Oikawa's face for the trace of a lie, but he wasn't sure what he saw. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes briefly. “Okay, okay,” he mumbled with his voice that seemed deeper by the day.

The rest of the walk was quiet. They both seemed to sense the tenuous situation and thought better of saying something that might shatter it. Iwaizumi wanted to help his friend but he didn't know how to. Oikawa just didn't want anybody to see how weak he really was, Iwaizumi especially.

They parted ways when they reached Oikawa's house. Iwaizumi still had to walk two houses farther down the street. “Night,” he nodded as he continued on. 

Oikawa gave a little wave and called “Goodnight, Iwa-chan!” 

He opened the door to his house and collapsed inside the doorway. Luckily nobody was home so he didn't need to try to hide his condition. It was bad, but he wasn't sure how bad. 

He took his shoes off while he was sitting down and then tried to stand up. It was more difficult than he would ever admit to anyone. Ever.

He managed with great difficultly to make it to turn on the hot water and start to fill the bath. It was with even greater difficultly that he made it to the actual bath and let himself fall in as the water slowly filled the tub. 

“Shit,” he mumbled. He was in so much pain he was too distracted to even register that he still had is clothes on. He quickly moved to get off his jacket and shirt in an effort to save them before too much damage had been done. He got them before the wetness spread much past the hem. There was no saving the shorts and underwear and socks from it though. 

He just leaned back into the warm water and tried to let it sooth his sore muscles. He closed his eyes then quickly thought better of it. He was liable to fall asleep in the bath if he did that. And then what would Iwa-chan say when he learned his friend had drowned in the bath tub? Probably something involving 'dumbass.' 

A quivering sigh escaped his lips as his tired brown eyes focused on the ceiling. His mind raced. It was so loud and he didn't know how to shut it up.

He kept replaying that single sentence he had overheard his coaches say. “He'll just play all the positions now but some day, he'll be a setter.” He had just started his 3rd year of junior high and already he was being replaced. He was finally coming into his own and now he saw it all slipping through his fingers. 

He stopped the water and sat in silence, his breaths slowly evening out. The pain in his legs was near unbearable, but the warmth did help some. His thoughts flitted quickly over the idea that maybe he was over working himself, but the idea didn't stick. His foggy and exhausted brain told him he was only doing what he had to. 

Oikawa's mess of brown curls fell dangerously close to the water and he sat up quickly with a start. He'd fallen asleep without realizing it. It couldn't have been for long since the water was still warm, but it had happened none the less. 

He slowly steadied himself with his arms on the edge of the tub and stood up. His legs shook a little as he stepped out of the water. His wet shorts and socks dripped onto the floor. He sighed and peeled them off and wrapped his towel around his body instead. 

Wet clothes in hand, he slowly made is way to his bedroom. He practically fell into it and quickly closed the door. Abandoning his wet clothes and the towel into his laundry basket he collapsed onto his futon, his body finally giving in and unable to support him any longer. He considered that he should at least put underwear on but it was so hard to move. 

He grew too fast and put too much stress on his legs. It wasn't an uncommon thing for his knees to ache from his rapid growth. This felt a little different though, but surly it wasn't anything to worry about. He'd already told himself everything he had done was necessary. 

The pain was enough to bring a few tears to his eyes, though. Without the warm water he could feel the pain full force. There was nobody around to put on a brave face for, so he let the tears well up in his eyes. He lay there on his futon and slowly curled in on himself, holding his legs to his chest tightly. He thought the tears were from the pain, but then again, he wasn't quite sure. 

His room was dark and it was colder on the floor than he would have liked. He pulled his blanket up around his face and just for an instant wished Iwaizumi was there. Iwa-chan was always radiating heat. 

Oikawa clutched at his blankets with his cold, bony fingers and scrunched up his nose with a sniffle. The tears stung his eyes. He was cold, tired and in pain. He ignored the rumble of his stomach and let sleep flood over him.

The last thing he remembered was wondering how much his friend would scold him if he'd known he bathed in his clothes and then slept naked without even eating dinner. He unconsciously whispered, “Sorry, Hajime.” 

\---

Oikawa Tooru was 18 when he attended his final training camp with the Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club, which he was Captain of. It was one final weekend to spend together before the Spring High Prefecture Representative Playoffs. 

It was well into dinner when Iwaizumi Hajime realized their air headed Captain was nowhere to be found. At first it simply pissed him off. After a half an hour it started to worry him. Everyone was finished eating and the dishes were being cleared away and cleaned by the 1st years. 

“Hey,” Iwaizumi cleared his throat and addressed the team. “After this go bathe and then lights out at 23.” The team offered various grumbles and “yes sir's” in response. He gave a curt nod to Matsukawa indicating he was leaving things in his hands until he got back. 

He left the dinning hall and headed to where the team would be sleeping. He quickly slid open the door and looked inside. He expected to find Oikawa sitting there doing something banal like fixing his hair. “Trashikawa!” he yelled before his eyes settled onto the emptiness in the room. He grunted and slammed the door shut. 

He quickly headed down the hall to the toilets figuring his stupid friend was in there doing something stupid. He walked in and found nothing but an empty room. “Damn it, Shitikawa!” he swore as he turned on his heel and walked back out. 

The next obvious place to find Oikawa was the gymnasium which was a short walk from the building that clubs used for their various camps. Iwaizumi headed to the front door and stopped short. “Shit,” he grumbled. It was raining heavily outside. If his stupid friend was in the gym he was going to either be stuck there or walk back in the rain. He knew Oikawa wasn't smart enough to have taken an umbrella with him. 

Iwaizumi was just about to make a move to find an umbrella when a deafening boom filled the air. The whole entryway lit up with a flash of light through the large glass doors. He hadn't even realized it was storming out. Iwaizumi assumed that moron Oikawa was in the gym anyway because there weren't really any other obvious places to check. It would be just like him to be practicing alone this late without telling anybody. 

He always came to camps well prepared because he knew Oikawa wouldn't. He quickly shuffled back to the sleeping quarters and dug through his bag for a bit before pulling out a rain coat. An umbrella wasn't a good idea in a thunder storm. 

Iwaizumi paused at the front door hoping that maybe it would let up briefly if he waited for a bit. It didn't so he took a deep breath and was out the door and running towards the gym in a flash, hood pulled deep over his head. 

He found the gym locked and the lights off. “What the hell?” he questioned but quickly ran back to the camp house to seek shelter. Thunder roared again and the sky split in two as lightning zig-zaged across the darkness. 

Iwaizumi just reached the door and pulled it open as another huge crack of thunder shook the ground. He ducked inside, grateful to be sheltered again and swore, “Damn it, Oikawa! Where the hell are you?” There was no response. 

Recognition finally dawned on Iwaizumi's face and his mouth fell open. “No...” he trailed off. His eyes were wide while he just stood there gaping at the storm out the door. “He can't be....” He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. He turned to the entryway and really looked around the building for the first time. 

That was when he noticed the coat closet near the door. He slowly stepped over to it and opened the door tentatively. He found nothing but a few coats hanging up. He quickly shed his rain coat and hung it up and then stepped into the hallway to try again. 

A little ways down the hallway and just outside of the bathroom, on the interior wall he found the cleaning closet. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath as he slowly opened the door the faintest crack. 

The light from a cell phone was pouring over Oikawa's face. He had earphones in and was sitting on the floor with his legs curled up to his chest while he swiped at his phone. His bottom lip had been chewed to the point where it was bleeding slightly and there were obvious tear tracks down his cheeks. His eyes were wide and terrified. 

Iwaizumi opened the door enough to step into the closet too. Oikawa's eyes shot up searching in the dim light for the source of this intrusion. His face visibly calmed when his eyes met Iwaizumi's. His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. 

All it took was one step and a closed door for Iwaizumi to shut out the storm and find himself alone with Oikawa. The closet was cramped but Oikawa silently shuffled a little to give Iwaizumi room. Oikawa was tall and his legs took up more room than they really needed too, even with them tight against his chest. 

Iwaizumi sat down in the little space in front of Oikawa. There wasn't quite enough room so he found himself sitting with his knees on either side of Oikawa. He locked his eyes with those large, watery brown ones that filled Oikawa's face. He silently reached both hands out and gently took the headphones out of his friends ears. 

“You're alright now,” he said, his voice gravely but soothing. The small light from Oikawa's phone lit up their faces with an odd blueish glow. Iwaizumi gently dropped the headphones over Oikawa's shoulders and then placed one hand on each. He could feel his friend trembling slightly. 

Oikawa's big eyes just blinked at him. His voice was harsh and cracked as he forced out, “Iwa-chan, I...” he swallowed hard. He closed his mouth and a faint sigh passed through his whole body. “Thank you,” he managed, small and weak. 

“I'm sorry, Oika...Tooru. I had no idea you were still...” Iwaizumi's words faltered. He left the rest unsaid. It probably wasn't the best way to get Oikawa's mind off his fear to keep bringing it up. “I'm glad you're safe, I couldn't find you. I was worried when you weren't at the gym.” 

Oikawa's eyes grew even larger, “Iwa-chan...” his trembling increased. “You went out in the....?” he couldn't bring himself to say the word. “Why would you do that? Iwa-chan?!” his voice began to reach the level of hysterics. 

“Shit. I'm sorry, Oika...Tooru. I'm fine. It's fine. Everybody's okay. It's alright,” he had trouble finding the right words to sooth his friend in his time of need. He hadn't even though about the fact that he'd just been out in the storm, the object of Oikawa's fear. Oikawa must have been terrified. 

Oikawa had now reached the point of full blown hysterics. He was shaking violently and his tears were uncontrollable. His voice reached a pitch that was easiest for dogs to hear. “Iwa-chan! Iwa-chan!” his hands reached out and roamed on Iwaizumi's face, as if he just needed to check right this second that he was really there and alright. 

Trembling fingers explored the contours of Iwaizumi's face until he reached up and took both of Oikawa's hands in his own. He slowly lowered them down but never stopped holding onto them. 

“I..Iwa-chan! I...” Oikawa choked out. The words stuck in his throat. “I could have lost you. Oh my god, Iwa-chan! Iwa-chan!” He was positively bawling. It was the largest amount of tears Iwaizumi had ever seen. It even trumped that time 10 years ago when he had first learned that his scaredy cat best friend was afraid of storms. 

At a complete loss for better options Iwaizumi just quickly pulled Oikawa into his arms. He pulled him close to his body and held him tightly. In the abrupt movement Oikawa's legs shifted and he found himself practically laying in his friends lap. Iwaizumi just held him tight as if his life depended on it. God, he hated to see Oikawa like this. Oikawa wasn't made for this sort of fear. He was meant to be confident and take on the world, just like Iwaizumi knew he could. 

Oikawa burrowed his face deeper into Iwaizumi's neck and the whole thing felt strangely nostalgic. They sat in silence and Iwaizumi rubbed circles onto Tooru's back with one hand while the other still gripped him tightly. Slowly Oikawa's sobbing stopped. 

They stayed like that for a bit longer, neither one quite willing to break the moment. Finally Oikawa dug his head out of Iwaizumi's shoulder and wiped his face with his own sleeve. He rubbed his eyes fiercely until the traces of the tears were gone. One final sniffle was Iwaizumi's signal that it was okay to talk now. 

“Come on, let's go to bed,” Iwaizumi said. He slowly pulled his arms off of Oikawa and stood up. He reached his hand down to Oikawa who looked up at him with those damned big brown eyes of his. 

Oikawa gently took the offered hand which closed firmly around his. A gentle tug and Oikawa was on his feet, falling into his friend as he tripped over a paint can in the cramped space. Iwaizumi caught him effortlessly and righted him on his feet. 

“Thank you, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, no malice or sarcasm in his voice. His eyes gravitated to Iwaizumi's and practically bored into his soul. Then the faintest of whispers, “You're a good friend, Iwa-chan. I love you.” Neither one blinked. 

Iwaizumi might have been blushing, it was impossible to tell in the little bit of light that trailed in from the bottom of the door, Oikawa's phone all but forgotten in the moment. The air was thick and suddenly Iwaizumi felt light headed. 

Iwaizumi peeled his eyes away from Oikawa and turned to the door. Oikawa reached down and felt around in the dark for his phone. Iwaizumi slowly opened the door and looked out. 

The storm wasn't over and it chose that moment to offer a faint clap of thunder. Oikawa froze, just as his fingers found his phone. Without a second though Iwaizumi reached down and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Come on. I've got you,” he said as he looked forward and gently pulled Oikawa up and out of the closet. 

Neither one realized that the storm had only just begun.

 

\---

 

Oikawa Tooru was 19 when his bad knee finally gave out. Really gave out, to the point that he would be off his feet for at least 2 months. 

This made his situation at his university and with his volleyball team very tenuous. He was at this university specifically to play volleyball. And while they were understanding enough it was also obvious that if he did not recover he was going to find himself in a bad situation. 

He sat on the sofa in the apartment he shared with his best friend, Iwaizumi Hajime. Iwaizumi was at class and would be for most of the day, meaning that Oikawa was all alone for at least the next 10 or so hours. He would be skipping his classes for the foreseeable future in favor of finishing his work at home via self study. It would be fine as long as he could pass his tests. 

His injury was only a week old and he wasn't supposed to walk on it yet. He was given crutches and told to rest. Iwaizumi had been mothering him to a ridiculous level so far. He had helped him out to the sofa that morning so that he wasn't stuck in bed all day. Oikawa had protested because he wasn't helpless. But on the other hand, it was nice to have Iwaizumi worry over him like this. 

The coffee table in front of the sofa was laden with everything he might need, all placed there by Iwaizumi before he had hurried off to class at 7. Oikawa turned his eyes to the snacks that had been left for him and leaned over carefully to grab the pocky. He was saving the milk bread for later. 

As he leaned back into the sofa and settled in he realized that Iwaizumi had actually left a volleyball at the foot of the coffee table. He had silently given Oikawa permission to toss a ball around in the house. That was something that usually lead to a hail of insults being hurled in Oikawa's direction. He couldn't help but smile. That was quite possibly the sweetest thing Iwaizumi had ever done for him. 

He shoved a stick of pocky in his mouth and it hung from his lips as he slowly nibbled on the end. He reached for the volleyball and then scooted himself until he was laying down with his head on the armrest and pillow that Iwaizumi had made sure to leave for him. 

He tossed the volleyball lightly in the air above his face and as it came down he tossed it up again, hardly letting it touch his fingertips. He continued this for a good 15 minutes until finally he tossed the ball too far and it fell just out of his reach. He had to use all his will power to not chase after it. Letting the ball fall to the floor was something that was hard for him, regardless of the situation. 

A little wiggle and he sunk ever farther into the sofa. The Summer heat was reaching a fever pitch and the room was too warm, but Iwaizumi had left the window behind the sofa open and the air breezed through just fluttering the curtains.

Oikawa's eye lids closed heavily and he settled in for a nap. Iwa-chan could hardly fault him for resting when he was injured. It wasn't often that he was allowed to nap. Iwaizumi just insisted instead that he should have gone to bed at a reasonable hour. 

A loud shrieking filled the apartment and Oikawa's eye's fluttered open. His long eyelashes covered his eyes and he blinked twice in confusion. His eyes grew wide as comprehension dawned on his face. He fumbled for his crutches quickly, Iwaizumi had left them near at hand for him. He rather carelessly hoisted himself up with them, the shrieking carrying on in the background. 

Without thinking he called, “Iwa-chan!” and then a glance at the clock reminded him that his friend wasn't home yet, and luckily he was probably safe. His foot bumped the coffee table in his rush to get out of the apartment, “Shit!” he cursed as the pain spread up his leg and settled in his bad knee. 

It took him longer than he would have liked to make it to the door and out, he didn't even have time to bother with shoes. He abandoned everything he owned in just shorts and his old worn out, Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club t-shirt that he still slept in. 

He hurried out the door and down the hallway just to realize with disdain that generally speaking, elevators were a no-no during a fire. He cursed, not for the first time since his injury, that they lived on the 9th floor. Luckily for him his long legs still allowed him to move fairly fast. He threw caution to the wind in regards to his severely sprained knee and each step sent immense pain through his leg. That was still better than dying in a fire. 

It only took one flight of stairs down for him to completely give up on the crutches and just rely on the railing instead. He clung to it as he made his way quickly down all of the stairs and made it safely out of the building. Well, safely except for the added damage he'd likely done to his knee. 

He limped his way to the sidewalk in front of their building. The emergency workers spotted his limp and immediately intervened. He waved them away, “No, I'm not hurt,” he put on his best dazzling smile and the confidence that he held himself with was enough to convince anybody. 

The street was filled with residents, several fire engines, ambulances and on lookers. On the one hand Oikawa was pleased to see that his apartment building did not seem to be in flames. On the other that really sucked if he drug himself down here and further hurt his knee for no reason. 

It seemed like a good time to make new friends and find out what the situation was. He spotted an elderly woman nearby and had no idea if she lived in his building or not, but since she was closest it seemed like a great idea to find out. 

He let out a whistle, “Quite a commotion, isn't it?” he smiled down at the woman who couldn't have stood more than 155 cm, and he absolutely towered over her. 

“They said it was a kitchen fire,” she offered looking up at him and smiling, showing off her crooked teeth. “They still have to check the whole building before we can get back in.”

Oikawa nodded, “So there was structural damage then?” he asked, he could sound quite smart when he wanted to. 

She shrugged, “They aren't sure, I guess the one apartment is pretty well ruined, it was on the 2nd floor they said.” 

What an inconvenience. Who knows how long it would take for them to determine the building was safe to enter again. He plastered on his best smile and again looked down at the woman, “Thank you so...”

“SHITIKAWA!!” A very loud and very angry voice cut through the crowd of people. Oikawa wanted to disappear.

Iwaizumi was moving through the crowd, hardly taking notice of the people who were parting to let him through. One look at Oikawa and his bare feet and lack of crutches and he exploded. He dug his fingers into the front of Oikawa's shirt and pulled him forward, hard. 

“What the hell do you think are you are doing? You complete ASS!” Iwaizumi wasn't sparing any insults, as he actually physically shook Oikawa by the shirt. “You fucking moron!” He paid no attention to the crowd or the little old lady standing next to them with wide eyes.

Oikawa steadied himself his with good leg and then put his hand on Iwaizumi's that was ready to tear his shirt. Oikawa used his strong fingers to give Iwaizumi's hand a little shake as he drew himself up to his full height. He narrowed his beautiful eyes and his voice went harsh, “Stop it.” 

Iwaizumi wasn't intimidated by him, he shook his hand off and took hold of his shirt even harder. “You always do this shit! You don't care about anybody else! It's always me, me, me. God damn it, Oikawa! You're such a piece of trash.” He continued to shake Oikawa, “I can't fucking believe you!.” 

Oikawa's eyes fixed on Iwaizumi's face and said, even and measured, “Are you done?” 

The fight left him almost instantly. Iwaizumi released his hold on Oikawa's shirt and his face softened, if only a little. His voice came out ever so slightly sheepish, “Yeah, sorry.” 

“Would you care to explain why you're so mad at me, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa's voice was still firm, but his typical lilt had begun to creep back in. 

Iwaizumi took a deep breath in and his muscular body shook slightly as he released it. Looking up, his blue-grey eyes locked onto Oikawa's. “I got a text from Kuroo. He wanted to know if we were alright. He saw about our apartment building on the news.” 

Oikawa hadn't even realized there was a news crew on the street, he'd been so preoccupied with the pain in his knee. His eyes were steady as he looked down at Iwaizumi. “I'm fine.” 

“You couldn't even bother to pick up your phone? Moron,” Iwaizumi added, but there was no real venom in it. He gently punched Oikawa in the arm and let his his fist fall loosely to his side. 

“I'm sorry, Iwa-chan! I was more focused on, you know, escaping the burning building,” Oikawa trilled. 

The people around them started to move back into the building and they realized they'd missed the all clear. Oikawa took a tentative step and pain shot through his knee. His bare foot on the sidewalk didn't help any. Without thinking he reached his hand out to brace himself on Iwaizumi's shoulder. 

Iwaizumi was faster though and he already had his arm around Oikawa's back resting his hand firmly on his waist. Iwaizumi took most of Oikawa's weight onto himself. “Damn it, Trashikawa,” he scolded. He looked at his friend and asked softer than before, “How bad is it?”

Oikawa clenched his teeth and mumbled, “I'm fine. I just lost my balance, Iwa-chan.” He put forth a valiant effort but it was pointless. Iwaizumi knew him better than that. Besides, the pain was so obvious in his words and on his face that he wouldn't have fooled anybody. 

“It'd probably help if you had on shoes, dumbass,” Iwaizumi offered and without any warning he scooped Oikawa up into his arms and carried him princess style into the building. 

“Hey! Iwa-chan! I'm fine!” Oikawa protested because as much as he loved being doted on by Iwa-chan, he also had his pride. It was quite obvious though that his protest wouldn't get him anywhere and there was no use in making Iwaizumi's job harder than it already was. Oikawa wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi's neck in an effort to brace himself better and take some of his weight off Iwaizumi's arms. 

“Shut up,” Iwaizumi offered lamely. Oikawa wasn't fat but he was tall and all muscle. Iwaizumi found himself silently cursing the fact that since he wasn't playing volleyball anymore he'd let some of his training fall by the way side. 

When they reached the elevator Oikawa offered, “You can put me down now.” Iwaizumi didn't bother, instead he leaned back against the wall to help with some of the weight. It wasn't an impossible task for him, carrying Oikawa Tooru. It also wasn't easy. 

The elevator dinged as it reached the 9th floor and Iwaizumi stepped out. He tightened his grip on Oikawa and shifted. The short walk to their apartment passed quickly and once inside Iwaizumi finally put Oikawa down, gently. 

“Thank you, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa's voice was earnest. As much as he wanted to tease Iwaizumi about carrying him like a princess. About being his Prince Charming, he just couldn't bring himself to taint the moment with it. He knew how kind his friend was being to him. How worried he must have been to be willing to do that for him. 

Iwaizumi took off his shoes and dropped his book bag in the entryway. He helped Oikawa up again and then gently and patiently guided his friend to the sofa. In an instant he was rushing around in the kitchen getting an ice pack ready. 

A minute later Iwaizumi settled into the couch next to Oikawa. He gently brought his friends legs up and draped them over his lap. He pressed the ice pack to Oikawa's bad knee without offering a warning. 

The cold shot through Oikawa's skin and stung, but it was a good pain. Oikawa relaxed back into the sofa and then noticed the milk bread that was still sitting on the coffee table. He reached for it and then settled back down. They were quite, the only sound the rustling of the plastic the bread was packaged in and then Oikawa's hungry bites of it. 

“I'm sorry,” Iwaizumi whispered. 

Oikawa smiled around bits of his favorite food and said, genuinely, “Iwa-chan, you're a good friend.”

Iwaizumi looked at him in disbelief, the way he'd acted so violently earlier played back in his head and he felt awful about it. Oikawa's large brown eyes just shined at him. Oikawa's whole face could lite up the room he looked so content. Iwaizumi shifted the ice pack and Oikawa grimaced slightly but then smiled again. 

“I was just worried,” Iwaizumi sighed. The events of the day had made him suddenly tired. He leaned his head against the back of the sofa and closed is eyes. 

“Iwa-chan...”Oikawa's voice was soft. He let the pet name hang in the air for a moment. He swallowed his bite of bread and even though it was his favorite, it stuck in his throat. He knew what he wanted to say but now that they weren't kids anymore it was so hard to get the words out. 

Oikawa watched Iwaizumi as he sat there, hand keeping the ice pack on his knee. Oikawa's eyes followed the curves of his arm and every muscles up to the slope of his neck. He fixed his gaze on Iwaizumi's face and just watched him. He looked so tired, but so beautiful. 

“Iwa-chan, I love you,” Oikawa whispered the words and for the first time, finally understood what they meant. He realized he'd always known, but he'd never really let himself think about it. He knew that if Iwaizumi questioned him now he'd have to play dumb. He couldn't really admit what those words meant. It might ruin everything. 

He wasn't sure if his friend had fallen asleep or simply chose not to respond. That actually made things easier though, he knew he could never act on those feelings. This was Iwa-chan we are talking about here.

Iwaizumi's thought's raced but then stopped at the moment when he'd thought his best friend was in real danger. How happy he'd been when he'd found that moron standing outside without his crutches or his shoes, but alive. He realized he couldn't imagine his life without Oikawa Tooru. 

\---

 

Oikawa Tooru was 22 when he finally stopped running away. From a lot of things. 

Life was generally good for him. He was still splitting rent with his best friend. He had joined the Men's National Volleyball team earlier in the year. He caused quite a stir when he came in and stole the starting setter position. He was mostly on top of the world. There was really only one thing that bothered him on a daily basis, but he knew it was better to keep his feelings to himself. 

You see, he had been in love with his best friend for quite some time now. He couldn't really put his finger on when it had happened exactly, but it was a long time ago. He actually even suspected that his friend was in love him too. But he would never say anything or act on it. He stood to lose way too much. He always considered it a miracle that Iwaizumi Hajime had even stuck around as long as he had. No way in hell was he going to chance that. 

Oikawa was sitting in his bed, listening to music to drown out the sound of the storm outside. His long fingers swiped at his phone screen as he hummed a terrible J-pop song to himself. He shifted uneasily as the sound of the storm penetrated through his music. 

He found himself thinking of Iwaizumi and the way he had smiled that morning at the breakfast Oikawa had made for him. A smile crept onto Oikawa's lips as he was lost in his own little world completely oblivious to the plight of his friend outside. 

Iwaizumi opened the door to their shared apartment. He fumbled with his hands, with his keys, with everything. He was in a hurry but nothing was cooperating with him. Finally he managed to find his way inside, drop his bags, kick his shoes off and practically fall face first into the living room. 

“Oikawa! I'm home!” He called out a little more frantic than he probably needed to be. He was soaking wet, like he'd just run through a downpour to get home. The truth of the matter was he'd just run through a thunderstorm to get home to his friend. His dark, usually spiky hair was plastered to his forehead where his brow was furrowed. His clothes stuck wetly to his muscular tanned body.

Iwaizumi tripped over his feet slightly as he rushed down the hall to Oikawa's bedroom and threw open the door. “Oika....” his words stuck in his throat. He found Oikawa sitting on his bed with headphones in his ears and phone in hand. He had the most beautiful smile on his face. The curtains were closed and it was obvious he was trying to block out the storm. Over the years he'd become much better at handling storms but it was always obvious to Iwaizumi that he wasn't perfectly at ease either. 

Iwaizumi always felt an odd tightness in his chest when he saw that Oikawa still occasionally cuddled with the plush alien he had gifted him on his 9th birthday. The little green man had seen better days, but Oikawa had him perched in the crook of his elbow, holding him next to him tightly. Iwaizumi still remembered Oikawa's face when he opened the gift. He proclaimed it hideous, just like Iwaizumi and so he had aptly named him Hajime-chan. 

Oikawa's eyes turned to Iwaizumi who was standing, soaking wet and looking frantic, in his bedroom doorway. His eyes weren't spewing tears, but they were watery, they caught the light and shimmered. Several emotions crossed his face at once, confusion, fear, happiness. In the end he settled on a smile and it was brilliant. Not his fake dazzling smile, but a real genuine one. It was even more beautiful than any of his others. He looked positively incandescent. He was suddenly so bright he was difficult to look at. 

Iwaizumi realized that he always had been, hadn't he? He'd outshined most people around him for so long sometimes it was hard to think of anybody else. He slowly made his way over to Oikawa's bed and gently sat down on the edge. “Hey, you doin' alright?” he asked. 

Oikawa's eyes widened and only shimmered more. They were exactly the color of chocolate milk, Iwaizumi realized as he finally really looked at them. It was too much and he had to look away. He'd seen his friends face nearly every day for almost his whole life but he realized he'd never really looked at it, not like this anyway. 

“I'm okay, but I wish you hadn't rushed home in the storm, Iwa-chan,” his voice was quiet. Oikawa shifted on his bed, sitting up on his knees and leaning forward to Iwaizumi. He gently brushed wet hair out of Iwaizumi's face. 

Iwaizumi felt his face turn warm where Oikawa's fingers had brushed his skin. He knit his brows together and frowned. He just grumbled in response. 

Oikawa shifted again and gently took his headphones out. He gave a little jump as there was a loud clap of thunder outside and lightning pierced the sky. He handled things much better than he had in the past, but he was still so obviously on edge. 

Turning to Oikawa, Iwaizumi asked, “So should I have stayed at work then?” 

A soft hum came from Oikawa's lips and he took a faltering breath. “I just....what if you'd died?” Oikawa's words were soft and Iwaizumi didn't understand why in the world that would ever be something to worry about. 

Iwaizumi decided changing the mood was easier than dealing with whatever this was. He offered, “With my luck you'll die before me and then I'll have to deal with being haunted by your scrawny ass.” 

Oikawa's eyes widened, “Iwa-chan! My ass is not scrawny!” He looked wounded and that was better than how he had been looking, so beautiful that Iwaizumi couldn't even look at him. This was the Oikawa he was used to, attractive sure, but also so ugly, inside and out.

“Yes it is,” Iwaizumi lied, he wasn't going to let this mood slip away. He felt easiest when they could tease each other, banter back and forth. When Oikawa would plaster various fake and dramatic expressions on his face. It was old and familiar. It was nice to see Oikawa with a real smile, but right now it was just too bright.

“Mean! Iwa-chan!” Oikawa was engrossed in this now and was ignoring the storm almost completely. “I'll have you know plenty of people have told me that I have a nice ass.” He readjusted himself so he was sitting cross legged and then he crossed his arms over his chest and plastered that pout of his on his face. 

Iwaizumi turned and looked at his friend, “Yeah well, plenty of people also tell you you're pretty and we both know that's not true.” Yes. This was easy to handle. Oikawa was handling the storm fine and he mentally kicked himself for rushing home for no reason. 

The look on Oikawa's face at that was like somebody had murdered his family pet right in front of his eyes. He was aghast and hurt. Iwaizumi thought for a second that he saw real pain in Oikawa's eyes but he pushed the thought aside. This is what they did. There was no harm in it and Oikawa knew he wasn't really serious. Right?

Oikawa's mouth sputtered and he looked like a fish out of water. His voice finally grasped around the only thing it could muster, “Iwa-chan!” 

The storm must have moved closer to them because the thunder now was loud enough to rattle a person to the bone. Oikawa let out a little yelp and involuntarily jumped. He moved too fast and found himself suddenly falling face first towards Iwaizumi's lap. 

Iwaizumi reached out and caught him, setting him upright again, but not removing his hands from Oikawa's biceps. Oikawa was trembling ever so slightly and it made Iwaizumi's breath catch in his throat. The mood was suddenly back to that fragile one where they both found words difficult and their looks lingered a little too long. 

Iwaizumi was frantic to change the situation again. He wasn't ready to face this. Deep down he understood it, had for a long time too. But it was just too much, Oikawa was too....

Oikawa was close to unraveling. The storm grew more violent and the attempts he had made to block it out were failing now that Iwa-chan had stolen his focus. He screwed up his face in an effort to avoid tears. He really hated Iwaizumi seeing him like this. He felt so ugly, so raw and he was afraid that Iwaizumi wouldn't like what he saw.

Strong fingers tightened on Oikawa's arms as Iwaizumi finally asked all these years later, “Oika...Tooru,” Oikawa flinched at the use of his given name. He rarely heard Hajime use it anymore. “Why are you afraid?” 

And that was enough to push Oikawa over the edge. The tears finally came and his voice just wouldn't steady as he let it all out. “I can't...” he sniffled. “The storm it...it...” he scrunched his nose up. “Killed Obi Nyan. It...” it was too much. He hiccuped. “It was my fault. I didn't mean to, Iwa-chan! I didn't mean to!” His voice was steadily rising, “he...he wasn't supposed to be outside and it was my fault, Iwa-chan! What if...” he made a disgusting snotty noise. “What if the storm kills....”

Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa into his arms and held tight. “Shhhh. I'm here,” he purred. He gently rocked Oikawa and continued with so much confidence in his voice, “I'll always be here.” What was he doing? He swore to himself he wouldn't act on the things he'd been feeling for so long now. But here he was with Oikawa in his arms and he just couldn't let him go. 

Oikawa sniffled and mumbled into Iwaizumi's shirt, “Always?”

“Yes, you dumbass,” Iwaizumi cooed. Oh god, was this actually happening?

“Oh.” Oikawa breathed out. 

The moment had gone fragile again. Iwaizumi held his best friend in his arms and as Oikawa lifted his brown eyes to look at him he realized he never had a chance. He'd been gone before he even started. With someone like Oikawa Tooru in his life since forever there was never really any hope. 

Oikawa had always been the bench mark by which everyone else had been measured. Were they are pretty as Oikawa? As smart as Oikawa? A talented as Oikawa? As much of a pain in the ass?

Iwaizumi laughed. It was finally too much, with his friend there in his arms, looking at him with those chocolate eyes. He realized that his whole damn life was so full of Oikawa that it had been how he'd measured his own life too. 

He remembered being 17 as the year that Oikawa was made Captain. When they were 18 Oikawa had been offered a chance to play volleyball at 8 different universities. All of his memories were of Oikawa. Oikawa's achievements were the way he measured his life. Oikawa had so thoroughly crept into Iwaizumi's life and cemented himself there that it was impossible to even imagine separating from him.

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa actually sounded concerned. He pulled back and he was absolutely breathtaking. His tears had stopped but they left his eyes moist and wide. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his brown hair fell softy around his face and in his eyes. His lips were plump and wet and curved into the slightest of smiles. 

Iwaizumi's whole face lit up, it was so easy now that he'd accepted his fate. “I love you,” he let the words hang in the air like Oikawa had all those times before. 

Oikawa's eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell slightly open. For the first time in his life Iwaizumi admitted to himself that he wanted to kiss those lips. He'd always wanted to, really. 

“I love you too, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa offered, the storm carried on in the background completely forgotten. He smiled and it was sweet. There was no hint of anything other than genuine happiness on his face. 

Iwaizumi laughed again at the ridiculousness of it. “No no, you don't understand. I think....” He met Oikawa's eyes and it was so difficult to look at him. “I think I'm in love with you.” 

Oikawa's smile softened, less sharp than before. The edges of his mouth just slightly curved upwards as he tilted his head to the side. His hair fell lightly in his eyes. His whole face looked angelic and that was an amazing feat because Iwaizumi would have sworn Oikawa was the devil incarnate. 

“I know,” Oikawa whispered. 

“Wait...you what?” Iwaizumi wasn't laughing anymore. He felt anger rising but he was trying really hard to hold it in because this wasn't supposed to happen like this but, “Damn it, Oikawa! What the hell?” He reached out and pushed Oikawa by the shoulders. It was a little more forceful than he'd really meant for and it sent Oikawa falling backwards on the bed. 

Oikawa caught himself with his elbows and said “Iwa-chan!” The look on Iwaizumi's face was enough to warn him that a few 'Iwa-chan's' wouldn't be enough to mend this situation. He moved his arms and let his weight fall flat on the bed, his head cradled in his pillow. He threw one arm over his eyes and lay there, chest moving gently with each breath. 

Iwaizumi wasn't going to let him have his moment. He grumbled, “Explain. Now.” He wasn't really sure why he was so angry, but damn it, Oikawa. How could he have known something that Iwaizumi himself had only just fully accepted. 

Oikawa took a deep breath and sighed. “I mean, I just assumed....”

“Yeah well, you know what they say about assuming. It makes an ass out of you,” Iwaizumi hated that Oikawa had just somehow put the pieces together before he had. 

“But, Iwa-chan, it was so obvious!” Oikawa whined. He moved the arm covering his face and instead ran his fingers through his hair. Iwaizumi wished he was the one doing that instead. Oikawa turned onto his side and propped his head up in his hand while he looked at Iwaizumi. 

“When?” Iwaizumi ordered. His frown had softened but he wasn't going to let this pass that easily. He needed to know. 

“When what?” Oikawa asked, his brown eyes never leaving Iwaizumi's face. 

“When did you know?” 

“Well....” Oikawa paused for a moment, his eyes searching Iwaizumi's face. “I think the first time I really considered it was when there was that fire in our building. You were just so upset about the idea that I was hurt.” Oikawa swallowed before he continued. Iwaizumi felt is throat go dry. “It was more than that though. You...you were so nice to me. All the time. I don't know, Iwa-chan. It was just the little stuff. And the big stuff too. I noticed that you first started talking about going to school to become a journalist after I was so overjoyed when Seijoh was in all those magazines. It was like you were letting me guide your...”

Iwaizumi frowned again, “Wow. You sure do think you're hot shit, don't you?”

Oikawa whined again, “I'm sorry.” He shifted slightly, tilting his head and questioned, just a whisper, “Am I wrong?” 

Iwaizumi had to stop to get his bearings. He took Oikawa in, laying there with that question on his face. His hair was a little messed up from when he'd run his fingers through it. It looked so soft and Iwaizumi just wanted to run his fingers through it. Maybe even grab onto it and pull a little bit while he....

“God I hate you,” was all Iwaizumi could muster. 

Oikawa's lips curled back into a smile. He locked his eyes on Iwaizumi's. Iwaizumi suddenly felt naked underneath that gaze. “I love you too, Hajime,” his voice didn't waver. He sounded so confident. 

Iwaizumi had known the answer deep down but it still took a weight off his heart to hear it spelled out for him. “You mean you...?”

“Of course,” Oikawa's voice was still so soft. 

Iwaizumi's heart caught in his throat. The beating was so loud that he felt it through his whole body. “Why didn't you ever...?” He was afraid of the answer. What if Oikawa didn't want him?

Oikawa sighed, “Because what if I had? What if it ruined everything? Iwa-chan. What if I finally... drove you away?” he looked away and focused is eyes on the ceiling. He sounded exasperated and it made Iwaizumi's heart stop. Iwaizumi realized he wasn't breathing. Oikawa whispered, “what if I lost you?” The words hung in the air for a moment and Iwaizumi felt the sudden fear in Oikawa's voice. 

Oikawa was afraid of losing him? Iwaizumi felt his heart clench and it seemed like there were butterflies in his stomach. “If I haven't left yet what do you think you could ever do to get me to go away?” Iwaizumi hadn't really wanted this to happen like this but now that the words were out there he just couldn't let it go. He couldn't let him go. “Dumbass.” 

Oikawa turned his eyes to Iwaizumi and they looked so tired. He suddenly looked so exhausted. His voice cracked a little as he said, “Iwa-chan?” He was beautiful.

“How long?” Iwaizumi couldn't believe he was asking, but he needed to know. Oikawa just looked at him with confusion all over his face. Iwaizumi swallowed hard because oh my god this is really happening. “How long have you...” the word caught and he couldn't believe he was saying it. He swallowed again. “Loved me?” 

Oikawa smiled faintly, “Probably forever.” 

A crack of thunder cut through the end of Oikawa's words and he gave a slight jump and Iwaizumi was on him in an instant. Iwaizumi leaned over and pressed his lips to Oikawa's with more force than he'd intended. Oikawa startled and pulled back. “Iwa-chan, we can't,” he gasped.

“Like hell we can't,” Iwaizumi said and leaned back in. It only took Oikawa a second to fall into the motions of Iwaizumi's lips. 

They washed over each other and it felt like it was years too late. Their lips brushed against each other softly, then roughly. It went unsaid but it was like they needed to make up for lost time right this instant. Iwaizumi's tongue gently prodded at Oikawa's mouth. Oikawa opened his lips and let him in and they mingled. Iwaizumi tasted salty. Oikawa tasted like chocolate, sweet and bitter at the same time. 

Oikawa reached his arms up and linked his hands behind Iwaizumi's head and gently pulled him down. Iwaizumi moved up onto the bed and swung one leg over Oikawa so that he was on his knees, straddling him. 

Oikawa fought for breath as he whispered, “You won't break me,” his lips still hungry for Iwaizumi's. 

Iwaizumi lowered his weight down onto his best friend and felt the warmth of their bodies pressed together. “Oika...Tooru, I....” He was already hard and he suddenly felt embarrassed as he dug into Oikawa's hip. 

Oikawa hummed with his lips against Iwaizumi's. He playfully bit Iwaizumi's lip and then pulled back. He looked at his friend's face. Really took it all in. He reached up and ran his fingers through Iwaizumi's still damp hair. He found himself lost in those slate colored eyes. 

“Me too.” 

A clap of thunder rang through the night and the lightning that followed lit up the sky. Hajime thought that it still wasn't as fearsome as Oikawa Tooru. 

~~

How can you be afraid of storms? Don't you understand, Oikawa? You are a storm. You have the power to destroy everything you touch. You are powerful and beautiful and everywhere you go you cause a stir. Nothing is ever calm with you around. Don't you get it? You are more fearsome than any storm could ever hope to be and I....I am completely at your mercy. So you...you have nothing to be afraid of. Dumbass.


End file.
